William w



W. W. BOX.

GASTBB" Patented Apr' Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. BOX, OF ORAYFORD, COUNTY OF. KENT, ASSIGNOR T() HENRY GREENE,OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,126, dated April 3,1883.

Application filed December 11, 1879. Patented in England September 5,1877, No. 3,367; in France March 1, 1878. No. 122,933, and

' in Belgium March 2, 1878, Nc.44.445.

To all whom it may concern:

A Be it known that I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS BOX, of Crayford, Kent, England,have invented new and useful Improvements in Casters, (for which 1 haveobtained a patent in Great Britain, bearing date the 5th day ofSeptember, 1877, No. 3,367,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct casters in such a mannerand of such materials as will insure their durability, and at the sametime aiford ease of working, even after long` and hard use, and alsoeconomy in their manufacture,but little fitting being required for theirnish. The upper or fastening part of the body of the caster is adaptedin form to suit the varied requirements of the parts or pieces offurniture to which the caster is to be applied, as is well known. flhus, forinstance, it may be formed with a flange, or with a centralscrew, or with a straight or slanting socket. The lower part of thecaster, intended to receive the ball, is hollowed out in the form ot'partot' a sphere, and the ball is retained therein by a ring-cap screwedonto the said socket, or secured by well-known means. made of iron andcast in a very true chillmold, so that it requires but little grindingor smoothing to fit it for use, and without penetrating the hard crust.I find that a chilled ball made in such manner retains its smoothsurface, and hence does not take or collect the fluff or dirt fromcarpets so readily as a soft-iron or brass or glass ball, and isofcourse many times cheaper than a cast-steel ball, both as regardsmaterial and itting.

Figure l represents a caster in which the chilled cast-iron ball A hasone bearing-surface at the top of the. ball, and anotherbearing-surface,about midway between the top and the center of the ball,against a chilled cast-iron or other hard bearing-piece, D, and

The ball is4 there is an vannular lubricating-pad, E, preferably made ofhair felt, and secured iu the bearing-piece D, as shown, and held therein any desired manner. The bearing-piece D and pad E are secured in andheld by the body of the caster B, and the chilled cast-iron ball A,after being put in place, is held either by the collar shown in Fig. l,screwed` onto the body B by spinning in the lower part ot' the body B,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or by forming the lower part of the body Bot' points or ngers which are bent inward to retain the ball after ithas been inserted in place.

I am aware that acaster-ball has been made with its bearings at the top,and also against a point of the circumference at or below the center ofthe ball; also with bearings at the top and against a great portion ofthe inner side of a spherical bearing-socket.

I am also aware that a lubricating-pad is not new in connection with alubricating-hole leading down through a bearing part or socket, whichhole is intended to convey lubricating material from the pad down to theball, but is liable to be stopped.

I claim as my invention- VIn a ball-caster, the combination, with' achilled cast-iron ball, of a removablebearingpiece of chilled cast-iron,having a central bearing directly over the ball, and a circularbearing-surface resting upon the ball about midway between the top andcenter of the ball, and a separate outer socket surrounding andretaining the ball and bearing-piece, substantially as described andshown.

WILLIAM I/VILLIAMS BOX.

